मायाजवनिकाच्छन्नमज्ञाधोक्षजमव्ययम् ।
न लक्ष्यसे मूढदृशा नटो नाट्यधरो यथा ॥
māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam |
na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.8.19)
[Kuntī Devī to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “Covered by the curtain of māyā, imperceptible to the ignorant, and immutable, you are not perceived by one of untrained eye just like an actor engaged in performance arts [is not really perceived properly by those untrained in appreciation of the arts].”
Commentary
tvām ahaṁ jñātuṁ na śaknomīty āha—māyaiva javanikā tiraskariṇī tayā ācchannam | nanu, kiṁ māyā mām āvṛṇoti ? tatrāha—ajñā meghācchannaṁ sūryam ahaṁ na paśyāmītivan māyayā mad-dṛṣṭyācchādanāt tvām apy ācchannaṁ paśyāmīty arthaḥ | yato’dhokṣajam adhaḥ sthitam akṣajaṁ jñānaṁ yasyeti aindriyakaṁ jñānaṁ yasyādhaḥ sthitam | evaṁ na spraṣṭuṁ prabhavatīty aham aindriyaka-jñānavatī ajñaiva, na ca mādṛśa-nikṛṣṭa-janājñeyatve tava kāpi kṣatir ity āha—avyayam iti | nanu, māṁsākṣāt paśyasi stauṣi prakṛteḥ paratvena jānāsi tad apy ajñāsīty ātmānaṁ kim iti nindasi ? ity ata āha—na lakṣyase iti | nāṭyadharaḥ gīyamāna-gīta-padārthābhinaya-rasānurūpa-nṛtya-tālādi-viśiṣṭo naṭo mūḍha-dṛśā saṅgīta-śāstrānabhijñena naṭo’yaṁ naṭatīty evaṁ dṛṣṭo’pi yathā na lakṣyate na jñāta-tattvo bhavati tathaiva tvaṁ mayā dṛṣṭo’pi na lakṣyase |
(Excerpt from the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“[Kuntī Devī:] ‘I am not able to understand you.’ Thus, it is said [by Kuntī Devī], ‘[You are] Covered by the curtain of māyā.’
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] ‘Well, does māyā cover me?’
“To that, it is said [by Kuntī Devī], ‘As one who is ignorant thinks, “I do not see the sun covered by the clouds,” so I see even you to be covered because my vision is covered by māyā.’ This is the meaning. You are ‘imperceptible’ (adhokṣajam): as that which is produced by the senses—knowledge—is situated beneath you, so sensory knowledge is situated beneath you. Thus, I am not able to see you, and so I who possess [only] sensory knowledge am [indeed] ignorant (ajñā). But it is not that there is any loss for you on account of the ignorance of a lowly person like me. Thus it is said, ‘immutable’ (avyayam) [i.e., you are unaffected by this].
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] ‘Well, you see me directly, praise me, and know me to be beyond prakṛti. So why do you despite this condemn yourself as ignorant?’
“Thus it is said [by Kuntī Devī], ‘You are not perceived ….’ Although an actor skilled in dance, rhythm, and so on suitable to the dramaturgical rasa of the subject of a song being sung is seen ‘by one of untrained eye’ (mūḍha-dṛśā), that is, by one unlearned in śāstra on music, in so far as, ‘This dancer is dancing’ [i.e., in so far as they simply superficially perceive the person to be performing some type of dance], they [i.e., the actor] as such are not [really] perceived, that is, they do not become a known reality [i.e., they are not really perceived in that the subtlety of their skill and the import of the art they are performing remain unknown to the untrained observer]. In this way, although you are seen by me, you are not perceived [in reality].”